Lethargic/slow moving hen.

[picklestheduck]

Hey guys, Linda is my 21/2- 3yo rir hen. She hasn’t been on the roost the last two nights, and last night it looked like she was almost laying on her side. Her vent is clear, just a bit of poop on her feathers, her crop only had a bit of food in it, maybe the size of a large grape, but it was clearly her pellets and such getting digested in there. She’s moving slowly, and overall just doesn’t LOOK like herself. She moves her head slow, and doesn’t run just walks slowly and carefully, she came and looked at the treats but only half heartedly pecked it and didn’t eat any. She’s all fluffed up, I mean the temperature dropped very quickly a week ago, but they’ve all been fine. I’m not sure if she’s laying or not since I have three birds that lay the same color, but I’m guessing she’s not laying. Something is clearly very off, she’s usually one of the head honchos and she’s getting picked on, and won’t even run from me (all my chickens are skittish and run from me when I’m in the pen). She’s not teetering but she almost looks like she’ll loose her balance. Please help! Any insight? Do I separate her? I gave her a bit of nutridrench last night I don’t see her eating or drinking at the moment, but she might be. Her face looks different than normal, I don’t know how to describe it. I’ll try to post old pictures of her, but her head looks like a different chicken. But it can’t be since I only have one rir

 

[DLA]

You should probably separate her until you figure out what is wrong and are sure it's not a contagious illness. Supportive measures like nutridrench and maybe scrambled egg. Do you notice any odd smell coming from her mouth that might indicate a crop issue, have you checked that she's not egg bound. I notice a mark on her comb, it's hard to make out from the pictures - could you post a close up of that so can see if it's a pecking injury or dry fowl pox. Also a poop pic if you can get one. Have you checked her for mites/lice? Do you notice any wheezing or anything else odd when you check her over? Any new birds introduced recently to the flock?

 

[picklestheduck]

@Eggcessive should I go buy corid?

 

[PanosGR]

Sorry to say that, but when my hens appear to be like that, they die within a few days...

 

[Eggcessive]

Coccidiosis doesn’t fit her symptoms, but Corid should not hurt her. I would wonder about a reproductive disorder. Is her tail up or down? Is she eating and drinking? Feel of her crop before she goes to sleep to see if it has food in it, and check to see if it has empties tomorrow early am. Crop problems can happen alone, or may a result of reproductive disorders, cancer, or worms. Try to get her eating some cooked egg and moistened chicken feed. The water added to a little feed will help get more fluids into her. Vitamins or NutriDrench are good to use for a few days.

 

[picklestheduck]

Coccidiosis doesn’t fit her symptoms, but Corid should not hurt her. I would wonder about a reproductive disorder. Is her tail up or down? Is she eating and drinking? Feel of her crop before she goes to sleep to see if it has food in it, and check to see if it has empties tomorrow early am. Crop problems can happen alone, or may a result of reproductive disorders, cancer, or worms. Try to get her eating some cooked egg and moistened chicken feed. The water added to a little feed will help get more fluids into her. Vitamins or NutriDrench are good to use for a few days.

Ok. She ate about half of a warm scrambled egg earlier, she picked at her food, but I will go check her again. Here’s her one poop from today. I found her laying in front of her food, poop right under her butt so she clearly hasn’t moved.

 

[picklestheduck]

She just pooped in front of me, I lost most of my smell to covid two years ago so I really can’t smell much, but from what I’m picking up this smells really rancid. She’s also sitting on her hocks. Tail is up

 

[picklestheduck]

Here she moved and has been sitting like this for several minutes

 

[picklestheduck]

She’s doing worse this morning, I gave her some wet cat food, which she liked, but she wouldn’t eat egg or pellets. I gave nutridrench and I gave her a calcium pill just in case it helps. She’s breathing hard like it’s moving her body up and down. When I was syringing some nutridrench I saw a few strings or mucus between top and bottom beak. I gave her some natural vitamin c, and water, and I feel awful since she aspirated a tiny bit, so I stopped immediately and put her back. Her nose might almost be swollen, like swollen up around her nostrils… it’s hard to tell but her face does look different. I had to leave for an early appointment, and I’ll be gone all day, so I have a feeling she will be gone when I get home. Not sure though. I’ve never lost a chicken to an illness, or to a predator in two and a half years of chicken keeping, and I always knew it would happen…. I just don’t want it to

 

[picklestheduck]

After some research I’m guessing it’s Coryza, so whether or not this chicken lives im sure I’ll need antibiotics as the entire flock of 42 has been exposed. What and where do I get an antibiotic. I found some that say cattle, not sure if I could use it on this chickens and ducks or not. Wait do ducks get Coryza? I’ve got 12 that live with my chickens. Also could a nasty coop contribute to this? I feel like an awful person, it’s gone longer than it should have, and in rainy season. I’ve got a bad wrist and a rib that slips out of place when I scoop too much, but I’ll definitely work on cleaning right when I get home. Maybe I’ll find someone able bodied to help me, but we will see.